Coming off a heart felt loss to Louisville in the last seasons NCAA championship game,the Wolverines start this season ranked 7th after losing their two upper class stars to the pros. Burke and Hardaway.

They opened the season with 2 victories and pre-season all-America candidate Mitch McGary sitting out those two games.

Today they go on the road in a hostile environment to a team that should be ranked. Iowas State...and they proved it knocking off the Wolverines 77-70 as the Cyclones dominated the boards and the paint.

McGary played today, with 8 points in the first half and only 1 in the second.

Iowa State led 35-34 at the half......and closed the game on a 23-10 run after Michigan had built a brief 8 point lead midway through the second half.

Michigan after falling behind by as many as 10 in the first half to the Charlotte 49ers, finished the half down by five 35-30. They then played catch up all second half to tie the game with 8 seconds left, but gave up the winning put back by Charlotte and lose 63-61 in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off Championship game.

Michigan shot 31% for the game and was 8 out of 34 in the first half alone. They continue to shoot the three very poorly and often, going 5-23 last night.

The Wolverines had already struggled vs the Florida State on Friday winning by 2 in OT. At 4-2, this team is struggling with only Nick Stauskus playing at all American level. Preseason all american candidate Mitch McGary is still struggling after 4 games averaging 8 & 8. Their inside game when he is out seems to be inconsistent, as there is no Trey Burke or Tim jr. to penetrate from the guard position and the current players pass the ball around the arc to much either afraid to pass it in to McGary or penetrate on their own.

Coincidentally this is the same Charlotte school that upset the #1 ranked 1977 Michigan team in the NCAA tourney that year in round three as Cornbread Maxwell defeated the Wolverines led Rickey Green.

Obviously this team was either over rated at the preseason # 7 or they just haven't jelled yet. But when two of your top three players run for the pros it obvious that it will take awhile to get in the right frame of mind. They have had a few tough games so that is good warm up for the big 10 play. Still I feek their best chance at the trophy was last season.

The Duke defense shut down the ailing Nick Stauskus (only 4 points on free throws) and the rest of the Wolverines 79-69 and Michigan falls to 5-3.

Dickey V provided the color analysis and the Wolverines seldom win when he is in the arena....especially if one of his diaper dandies is on the opposing team like Duke, North Carolina or Kansas.

Michigan comes close, but no cigar... After leading most of the game including a nine point lead with 6 minutes to go, the rebound challenged Wolverines finally get caught with about 3 minutes to go. After exchanging a couple of hoops, it was obvious that the team that scored last would win and sure enough it was the # 1 ranked Arizona Wildcats the survived.

Glenn Rob3 was 7 for 7 in the first half and I only recall him taking two shots in the second, and one of those was an ally oop from Skip. I appreciate the penetration of Caris Levert, but I think he thought he was the second coming of Trey Burke and was driving to the hoop and throwing up prayers that were falling into the rebounding hands of the taller Wildcats.

I know its college, but if any team should have learned from crunch time it was the Pistons. Arizona used it's inside height and proceeded to go inside and score on 6 or 7 straight tries in the paint the last 5 minutes of the game to catch and control the tempo and got the W. There were no jumpers from the team in crunch time. Of course with only Horford and McGary out there to defend the hoop, the Cats worked it around the perimeter until they were able to get it inside. If they missed, they got the key rebound that eventually led to the score. Michigan missing Burke's composure in a close games stayed with Arizona and exchanged buckets, but threw up a couple of wild shots including a questionable one with 20 seconds left that would have possibly been the winning shot but it clanged off.

They are a bunch of 20 year olds who spend reading their press clippings and getting booty from wasted coeds! they are so unprepared for this season ,its UNreal!! McGary and Robinson are so overrated ,its not funny. McGary- a PRESEASON AllAmerican?? Hilarious! Every second garis Levert is on the court weakens this team because he thinks he is the second coming of gary Grant! M needs to switch to a three man guard rotation OR speed up this offense and play at a faster pace because its NOT enough balls to go around.

I am still trying to figure out why McGary was a possible lottery pick on some lists....all of the prime time TV time he got last year suckered some of media and coaches into selecting him preseason all american. Unfortunately the back issues prior to the season and not having Burke around to set him up have stunted any hopes of making it first team unless he turns it on in conference play.

Little Dog (GR3rd) other than yesterday looks worst now than he did in his freshman year.

I am still trying to figure out why McGary was a possible lottery pick on some lists....all of the prime time TV time he got last year suckered some of media and coaches into selecting him preseason all american. Unfortunately the back issues prior to the season and not having Burke around to set him up have stunted any hopes of making it first team unless he turns it on in conference play.

Little Dog (GR3rd) other than yesterday looks worst now than he did in his freshman year.

Depending on how successful the surgery is, this could affect any future lottery pick aspirations for the young man. Mitch will have to have a above average year if he does indeed return to the Wolverines next season. Morgan and Horford and one of those freshmen will have to step it up and fight for boards this season to keep the team competitive.

Depending on how successful the surgery is, this could affect any future lottery pick aspirations for the young man. Mitch will have to have a above average year if he does indeed return to the Wolverines next season. Morgan and Horford and one of those freshmen will have to step it up and fight for boards this season to keep the team competitive.

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This is bad news. I agree with you when you say McGary is a bit overrated, but he did bring it during tournament time. He will be missed unless, like you say, someone else fills a hole.

16-10 from Horford and Morgan in today's 22 point victory over a 6-5 Holy Cross team. But it was Levert that lead the team in rebounds with 7.

Wolverines finished 8-4 in non-conference play. Only home loss was to #1 Arizona. 3 out of the first 5 conference games are on the road so they need to establish themselves with good play in the middle if they want to finish in the top five in the conference

M will be a better team without McGary . He came into the year overrated and full of himself. As did Robinson. He played WAYYY over his head in the tournament last year. This year , M has too many players who are thinking they can be this year's Burke, McGary and robinson( see Levert, Stauskus, Irvin and Walton). I Like lunch bucket players like Spike, Morgan and Horford and maybe now M can go back to their normal 1-4 offense anad force other teams to guard the perimeter.

Yeah they always seem to fold in the end to a highly ranked team....Arizona, Duke, etc, but tonight, the huge 3 by Stauskus under a minute to go pretty much ended what looked like a comeback win by the Badgers.

Still a long way to go, but who would have thunk it with the loss of Burke, THjr and big McC in the middle that would be sitting at 5-0 in conference play including 3 road wins.